Frequently Asked Questions
Maria Cristina Portugal Award 2025 – Energy Sustainability
1 – What is the Maria Cristina Portugal Award?
It is the RELOP Regulation Technical Award, which aims to promote the dissemination and sharing of knowledge in the area of energy regulation.
2 – What is the theme of the article?
In the 2025 edition, the chosen theme was “Energy Sustainability.”
3 – What is “Energy Sustainability”?
Energy sustainability is the ability to meet the energy needs of today’s society without compromising future generations. This concept seeks to balance economic development, environmental protection, and social justice in the use and production of energy.
Energy sustainability is crucial to addressing global challenges such as climate change and growing energy demand, promoting a more balanced and resilient future.
4 – What articles can be submitted?
Any article, scientifical article or regulatory practice is elegible, if it meets the following criteria:
Original authorship; originality, innovation or publication less than three years ago (counting from January 1st of the year of the award); legal affiliation of at least one author with a RELOP entity; writing in Portuguese; delivery within the established deadlines; and maximum limit of 8,000 words.
5 – Who can participate?
Employees of any RELOP member entity may apply.
Academic members, journalists, or other experts may also compete, provided they are co-authored with at least one collaborator of any RELOP member. However, the prize will always be awarded to the collaborator of the RELOP member entity.
6 – I have participated previously. Can I participate again?
According to the current regulations, winners of previous MCP Awards will not be eligible for this edition of the competition.
Other authors may resubmit their article or a new article.
Honorable mentions may also compete again.
7 – What is the prize?
Only one article will be selected for the MCP Award. The award includes a certificate to the author, an invitation to publish on the RELOP website or specialised platforms, and the opportunity to present the winning work at an international event sponsored by RELOP.
In cases of co-authorship, the invitation will be sent to the author linked to a member entity or, if there is more than one, to the main author.
8 – Are there any honorable mentions?
Yes. Honorable mentions may be awarded by the jury, with the right to a certificate attesting to this fact and publication on the RELOP website or other specialised platforms.
9 – How can I submit my application?
To be eligible to participate, the article must be submitted to the RELOP Secretariat via email at secretariado@relop.org along with the completed Application Form.
The Secretariat will send an email confirming the validity of your entry within 3 business days.
10 – What is the deadline for submitting applications?
The applications may be submitted until April 9 2025. For the purposes of closing the deadline, 23:59 on April 9, 2025 will be considered, according to the local time of the author’s submission country.